Thanksgiving : Third Time Lucky?
by Basscop69
Summary: I know the Thanksgiving episode is coming up soon, but this is how I would love to see it. Mainly CB, but a bit of N-JBC, and even some Dan and Vanessa! Doesn't actually start on Thanksgiving itself. If it's rubbish, I apologise.
1. Chapter 1

Chuck opened the door to his suite, moving inside. He shrugged off his jacket, checking his phone. Blair hadn't called; but then he'd told her he'd be in a meeting.

He paused as the faint strains of a familiar tune drifted through the walls. A tune that would always bring to mind only one person.

Sure enough, he spotted his girlfriend's purse on the floor.

Raising an eyebrow, he followed the melody, growing more distinct as he approached the bathroom.

_Moon river..._

He could smell scented candles now.

He pushed the bathroom door open.

Blair was stretched luxuriously in his bathtub, back to him, eyes on the fitted television screen. He didn't need to look at the screen, of course; besides which, she was murmuring each line along with the characters. His mouth twitched. As expected.

She remained oblivious to him, as he continued to watch her with growing amusement. She was too wrapped up in the movie; that, and slowly rubbing bath oil into her skin, enjoying the steam and bubbles.

He realised her favourite line was coming up, and it was too tempting.

"So what?" he murmured. "So plenty."

Blair let out a yelp of surprise, spinning round to face him, and nearly dropped her bath oil.

"Bass!" Her cheeks flushed. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, outraged. "You're meant to be in a meeting!"

He smirked, coming to sit on the edge of the bath tub. "It got cancelled." He gazed down at her. "Anyway, I could ask you the same thing. This is my suite, remember?" He stroked her bare shoulders, fondly trailing his hand over her back.

She managed to regain her composure. "I got sick of the communal showers. I needed to feel clean."

He grinned at that. Leaned closer.

"And you decided to start without me?"

Her eyes lit up in response.

She reached up to curl her wet arms around his neck, pulling him down closer, and as he kissed her, hungry, he didn't care that his shirt got soaked.


	2. Chapter 2

Chuck wandered out of the bathroom, rubbing his wet hair, now in a bath robe. Bathtime with Blair, he decided, was his new favourite activity.

He glanced up as he heard her phone ringing.

"Blair," he called over his shoulder.

She was still in the bathroom.

He checked the screen; DADDY.

Smiling, he picked it up. "Evening, Harold."

Blair's father was as warm and bubbly as ever, and obviously pleased to speak to Chuck.

Blair appeared just as he was asking after her.

"She's fine," Chuck grinned, glancing at her. She was dressed in a silk nightslip, hair drying in chocolate waves.

Her eyes had lit up. "Is it daddy?" she asked eagerly.

But before he could respond, she'd bounced forwards, stretching on tiptoes to curl her fingers round the phone, bringing it to her own ear.

"Daddy!"

She danced off, clutching the phone, and dropped onto the sofa, already chattering away.

Shaking his head - though, in truth, there was something about that smile on Blair's face and her shining eyes that almost melted his heart - Chuck came and stretched out on the sofa beside her.

He pulled her into his lap, and she went happily, still rapt in conversation, snuggling into him.

He didn't really need to listen to their conversation; the sound of Blair's laughter, the scent of her shampoo in her damp hair, lulled him and he was quite comfortable.

But then he was instantly awake when he heard, "Oh."

Blair sat up, ever so slightly, and he did too, as a reflex.

Her shoulders had risen, just a fraction.

"Oh. I see."

He frowned, watching Blair's face. He had a nasty feeling he could guess what Harold might have said.

"No, that's fine!"

That light, false laugh.

"No, no. I understand. Of course."

Chuck was almost certain he knew what this was about.

When the conversation had ended, Blair slowly lowered her phone. She was still holding it, still sitting up.

But she smiled. "Apparently Roman's shoot got delayed." Her tone was very careful, very casual. She shrugged.

In other words, Harold and his boyfriend wouldn't make Thanksgiving. Chuck had been right.

He tugged her phone out of her hands, dropping it, and his grip tightened as he pulled her back into him. Stroked her hair, though he was suddenly furious. Much as he liked Harold - mainly because Blair loved him - the guy hadn't visited for nearly a year. He couldn't make it over for her favourite holiday?

Blair knew she was being stupid. She hadn't seen her father since the Yale fiasco. Since he'd told her he was disappointed in her; that he didn't like this 'new' side of her that he was finally seeing. He knew nothing about her little meltdown, of course. She assumed her mother had told him about NYU, and he'd rang her eventually. He'd made it obvious from phone conversations since that he'd forgiven her. Things had gone back to normal. But it didn't change the fact that the last time she'd actually seen him, all she could remember was the sheer disappointment in his eyes. Like she'd let him down.

And until she saw him again, face to face, she couldn't fully erase that memory. Not yet, anyway.

And she'd got over losing Yale. But she still couldn't quite help the deep, secret feeling - one that she'd voiced to no one, not even herself - that she'd let her father down because she hadn't got in. She knew it was irrational. But Yale was their thing; had always been their thing.

That, and Thanksgiving.

She buried her face in Chuck's chest. It wasn't the end of the world.

"I'm sorry," Chuck murmured into her hair. His thumb traced her back, and he was still angry. Blair just held on to him.

Harold may have been one of the nicest people Chuck knew. But he was also one of the most clueless.

And he had just reminded Chuck why he'd always hated _family_ holidays. Abandonment. Let down.

"It's overrated," he muttered. "Fathers and thanksgiving."

He sensed Blair pause, and suddenly realised his words had come out far more bitterly than intended.

He hesitated, planning to amend them, but Blair had already sat up. Her legs were wrapped round him as she curled her hands on his shoulders, gazing straight into his eyes.

She'd already seen the flicker of a shadow, though he was trying to brush it off now.

She smiled, very gently. Her eyes never left his, searching them. Reassuring.

"This is your first _real_ Thanksgiving, Bass," she murmured firmly. "And it's going to be perfect."

His mouth twitched; her tone left no room for argument.

She softly traced his cheek, fingers running through his hair, eyes still locked on his. She leant down and kissed him, softly. He kissed back harder. She pressed her small body into his, and he held her as close as he could, hand sliding round to the small of her back as they moulded together; because together, finally, they were exactly where they wanted to be; together they were exactly where they belonged.


	3. Chapter 3

"Chuck!" Blair strode into his room, and he felt the bed dip where her warm weight bounced down right next to him. "Rise and shine!"

He grumbled wearily, still half asleep.

She leaned over him, stroking his collar, rubbing his arm. Excited.

"Come on, Bass. Wake up!"

Eyes still closed, he wrapped a hand round her wrist, suddenly pulling her down on top of him.

"Mmm," he groaned, opening his eyes to kiss her, mouth curving up. "Morning, Waldorf."

She tried to wriggle away, though she didn't quite manage to resist kissing him back. Then she shook her head, firm, as his hand crept up her back.

"Oh no," she insisted, "We don't have time for that. It's Thanksgiving _tomorrow_. We have a pumpkin pie to perfect. I've brought over everything we need, but..."

Chuck suddenly registered what she was saying, and she was cut off as he sat up, frowning, and she almost fell off him onto the floor.

He caught her before she did, pulling her back up.

"Wait. You mean the Waldorf pumpkin pie?"

She rolled her eyes at him as she managed to regain her balance. "What else?" She sighed, exasperated. "I know you've never been around...slash, sober...for Thanksgiving, but the Waldorf pumpkin pie is a tradition-"

"I know it is." Anyone who knew Blair, knew that. He stared at her. "You want _my_ help to make it?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

He arched an eyebrow back. "In the fifth grade," he reminded her slowly, "When you used to make us play Thanksgiving the entire time" - the closest Chuck had got to an actual Thanksgiving, in fact - "You gave Nate a timeout if he even offered to help."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he went on.

"And when you were nine, you didn't speak to Serena for a week because Harold let her mix the pastry."

Blair scowled at the memory. "It was my mother, actually. And she interferred in _our_ tradition, and _made_ me give Serena the best job."

Chuck smirked. "And the next day you asked me to help you plot Eleanor's downfall."

Blair sighed. "The first one of our schemes to fail."

He grinned ruefully.

She glanced at him. "Well, I want your help now," she said softly. Simply. "I want to make it with you."

And at that, he couldn't help it; he was suddenly smiling like an idiot. Jesus, it was just a pie. But his grin didn't fade.

She grinned back, threading her fingers through his as she got up, struggling to pull him to his feet.

"Now come on. We only have twenty four hours!"


	4. Chapter 4

Blair leaned against the kitchen counter, sighing. Were any of her Thanksgivings ever going to go the way she wanted them to?

Really, she should just give up now.

At least this Thanksgiving wasn't as bad as the one two years ago. She couldn't help but repress a faint shudder, remembering the cake. The cake that she'd crammed into her mouth in under five minutes. The cake that she'd spent the next ten minutes forcing out into the toilet, and the next hour curled on the bathroom floor, the taste of vomit still burning her mouth.

No, there would never be a Thanksgiving as bad as that one.

Despite all the drama. Jenny and Eric's feud; the fact that Serena was having an affair with a married man - Nate's cousin no less - and now she and Nate were no longer speaking; the huge row that had blown up over the dinner table, ruining the turkey; and now, to cap it all off, her mother's news. Eleanor was pregnant. Blair still failed to comprehend how that was even possible. In fact, the thought was almost enough to make her sick. Eleanor Waldorf with a _baby_. And the worst thing was that she hadn't even told Blair to begin with!

Like Blair wasn't a part of her new family.

Blair sighed. She'd have to go back out in a second; she'd left Chuck to deal with Lily, who couldn't quite understand either, why her Thanksgiving had been destroyed, and why her table was now empty because so many people had stormed out.

Blair glanced up to see Vanessa walk in.

Oh yes. Then there was the fact that she'd had to spend her Thanksgiving...with Brooklyn. Dan she could handle (just), but he'd invited Abrahms! And her awful mother!

Although, if Blair was completely honest, Vanessa had been the least of her worries; she hadn't actually done anything. In fact, though Blair would never admit it, Vanessa didn't really bother her any more. But she would deny any suggestion that they were _friends_.

And it was the principle, anyway.

What was next - Thanksgiving with Georgina?

And Vanessa looked miserable now.

Of course. Blair remembered the whole Humphrey situation. Honestly, as if the table had needed any more drama.

"Abrahms." Blair nodded at her.

"Hi, Blair."

Vanessa sat on the counter opposite her. Her heart clearly wasn't in it.

They were silent for a moment.

Finally, Blair sighed in irritation. "What are you doing here?"

Vanessa looked up, blinking. Then she got it. She rolled her eyes. "Blair, I know you don't want me here - and believe me, Thanksgiving with the Waldorfs was not-"

"I mean," Blair interrupted exasperatedly, "Why aren't you with Humphrey?" She raised an eyebrow, pointed.

Vanessa looked taken aback.

"I..."

"He's obviously in love with you, and you seem to spend the entire time following him around like a lovesick puppy, bordering on stalker..."

But Vanessa let the insult wash over her.

"He's not in love with me."

She tried to make the idea sound ridiculous.

Blair rolled her eyes. Vanessa was a _poor_ liar.

"Oh, please. Even I can see pathetic lonely boy brooding all over you. Quite frankly, it's nauseating. So why don't you do us all a favour, and go put him out of his misery?"

For the first time ever, Vanessa actually stared at Blair in stunned silence.

Eventually, though, she shook her head.

"It would never work," she muttered. Finding excuses. "It'd be too weird. We're best friends."

She had no idea why she was telling this to Blair Waldorf, of all people.

Blair went quiet.

Vanessa didn't see, but her face had softened, gaze resting on the pumpkin pie on the side.

"Sometimes," she said softly, wryly, "Your best friend might turn out to be everything you've ever wanted. Someone who knows you, inside out. Better than you know yourself."

Vanessa was silent as her words sunk in.

Then she looked across at Blair, a question forming as she saw her expression, but Blair cut her off.

Her look of disdain was back.

"Now, are you going or not?"

Vanessa gazed at her. She stood up slowly.

"I'm going."

Blair smirked. "Of course you are. Run along."

Vanessa shook her head, rueful. Blair Waldorf was still Blair Waldorf.

She breathed out. She would do it.

Then, just before she left, she paused in the doorway.

"Thanks, Blair."

It was very quiet, but she knew Blair had heard.

Blair rolled her eyes, but her mouth twitched, out of sight.


	5. Chapter 5

Chuck came into the kitchen and snaked his arms around Blair. He'd been worried, after everything that had happened, that she would still be wound up; but in fact, there was a sense of calm about her that he hadn't expected. She turned in his embrace, sliding up to hold him, kissing him, breathing him in. Sometimes she loved him so much it hurt.

"So," he murmured. "Not quite the Thanksgiving you wanted."

She sighed mournfully, gazing up at him. "I wanted everything to be perfect. So you could love Thanksgiving as much as I do."

He smirked in response. "It was perfect." Perfect because he'd spent it with her. He didn't care about the drama.

She rolled her eyes. "Please-"

He kissed her, cutting her off. "It was the best Thanksgiving I've ever had. At least, until next year."

And there; that was why it was perfect. That smile.

"Now, do we actually get to try this pumpkin pie?" he enquired

"Pumpkin pie? Do we get any?"

Blair turned, amazed, at Nate's voice.

He and Serena were standing in the doorway, grinning.

They'd come back.

Serena had come back.

Her gaze flickered between them.

Mainly, though, they rested on her best friend.

"S?" she ventured.

Serena smiled. She knew what she was asking. "I'm sorry, B. You were right." She glanced, warmly, at Nate. "You both were," she admitted.

Blair couldn't help it, she rushed forward and hugged her best friend. She was just so glad to have her, back where she belonged.

Serena laughed.

Eventually, Blair pulled away.

She smirked. "Well, I'm always right."

"Oh, really?" Chuck arched an eyebrow.

Blair was surrounded by the three of them; her three best friends. Her family, she realised. Her real family.

"Yes," she smirked. "I told you this Thanksgiving would be perfect."

The three of them exchanged a glance.

"Oh, it's not perfect yet." Serena grinned down at her.

Then, before she could work out what was happening, Chuck suddenly grabbed her by the waist, hoisting her into the air.

"Bass!" she yelled. "Put me down!"

Nate and Serena were laughing their heads off as they half dragged, half carried her over to the pie. Chuck plopped her down easily on the counter, arm still wrapped round her waist, while Serena pulled out a large serving spoon.

Blair yelped in protest, shrieking and struggling to get away, though by now she was laughing too hard to make any real attempt.

Nate grinned, digging in to the pie. He advanced on Blair with the spoon, still grinning.

"Thanksgiving is not perfect till you've had a slice of the Waldorf pumpkin pie," Serena proclaimed.

Blair wriggled, trying to get away - the spoon was huge - but Chuck held her in place, shaking with laughter.

"Open up, Waldorf."


	6. Chapter 6

The four of them had collapsed on the floor, unable to laugh any more because they were fighting for breath, and fairly smeared in pumpkin pie. Blair was especially pleased that she had succeeded in rubbing some into Chuck's hair. She settled happily between him and Serena, Nate on Serena's other side, Chuck's arm still wrapped around her as she rested her head on Serena's shoulder.

She couldn't remember the last time that they'd done something, just the four of them, that had been that much fun. That simple.

Then she heard her phone ring from her bag.

Nate, who was closest, pulled it out, and answered before she could take it off him.

"I'm sorry, Miss Waldorf is currently covered in pumpkin pie and is unable to come to the phone - oh." He straightened. "Oh, hello sir."

Chuck smirked. That could only have been Blair's father.

Nate smiled sheepishly. "Sure, I'll just pass you over."

Rolling her eyes, Blair took the phone. She was still grinning, though. "Hi, daddy."

She got up to take the call outside, squeezing Chuck's hand briefly before she went. He squeezed back, watching her go with a smile.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ok, I love you too. Yes, daddy. I will." She grinned. "Ok, bye."

As she hung up, the front door opened. Dan Humphrey appeared. Alone. Looking, if possible, even more miserable than when she'd last seen him.

"Humphrey?" she frowned. "What happened? Where's the troll? I mean...Vanessa?"

But he didn't even react to it.

"Gone," he said dully.

Blair sighed. "What do you mean, gone? What did you do this time, Humphrey? How do you people still manage to screw this up?"

Really, it wasn't that hard.

Dan shook his head. He looked weary. "Actually...I didn't do anything."

"Then what did tr-"

"My _brother_ did. Scott's back."

Blair fell silent. Oh.

She dimly remembered that Vanessa had a thing with the long lost Humphrey child. She remembered because she'd thought it was slightly creepy at the time; was she trying to go through all the Humphreys to get to Dan?

"Vanessa left with him."

Blair studied him for a moment. Exasperated.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was meant to say to that.

It wasn't like she and Dan were _friends_. Serena aside.

Eventually, she just rolled her eyes.

"Come, on Humphrey." She started towards the kitchen.

He stood there blankly. For a smart guy, he could be a little slow at times.

"That wasn't a suggestion," she pointed out. "You're having pumpkin pie."

And she led him, still slightly bemused, back to her best friends.

It was Thanksgiving, after all.


	8. Author's Note

**I realise my summary for this was a bit rubbish, but it's my first story so I wasn't really sure what to write!**

**Basically, I loved the thanksgiving scene in 1x09 between Nate, Serena and Blair (in the bathroom) but I always felt Chuck was missing out...so I wanted him to be involved in this, and especially in Thanksgiving seeing as he is apparently never around for them! I love N-JBC. **

**I've only seen the promos for the S3 Thanksgiving episode, so Eleanor being pregnant was just a guess at what might happen. And Nate and Serena showing up at the end was inspired by the bit in the promo when Serena looked like she had to choose between Nate and Tripp...Obviously, she chose Nate in my version.**

**Also, I realise I didn't really resolve the whole Blair/Harold situation in this story, but I really just wanted to use it as a way of getting CB closer. And I did find it annoying in the show, how the last conversation they showed between Harold and Blair was when he took her puppy away! **

**And I know Blair didn't get her perfect Thanksgiving in the end, but I kind of wanted to build on the way she does seem to be (gradually) realising not everything needs to be perfect.**

**I'm sorry about the whole Dan/Vanessa thing too, because I am actually a fan of that pairing.**

**But I wanted a Dan/Blair moment. **

**Like I said, I'm new to fanfiction...so I don't know if there's another way to respond to reviews or not, but just wanted to say thanks! :)**

**Also, to annablake : I love Vanessa/Blair interaction! I think there's potential there. I used to hate Vanessa, and I think a part of that was because Blair hated her so much. And because the show frequently tried to make Blair come across as the bad guy when it came to Vanessa. So I wanted to show a more mature side of Blair ...obviously, they could never be best friends, but I do like the grudging respect for each other that they've shown (like in School Lies, with the tape thing, and at the end of 3x06). **

**Thank you again for your comments! **


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